Fire escape



UNITED `STATES PATENT Clarion.,

EDWARD H. AMET, OF CHICAGO, LLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HERBERT A. STREETER, OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,881, dated October 29, 1889.

Application iiled March ll, 1889; Serial No. 302,855. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. AMET, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of fire-escapes wherein a stationary stand-pipe is connected with or forms part of the fire-escape ladder. Such fire-escape ladders are usually made of iron or other` metal, and difliculty is sometimes experienced in their practical use by reason of tlre rungs of the ladder becoming so heated from the burning building that persons cannot climb up or down on the ladder without great suffering.

My invention consists in a stand-pipe lireescape having hollow or tubular metal rungs communicating directly or indirectly with the stand-pipe, so that the water may enter or circulate through them, and thus keep them cool.

It also consists in providing-such hollow rungs with perforations, so that a spray of water may be thrown over thefire-escape for the purposeof cooling the same and driving away smoke or extinguishing iiames.

It also consists in providing the fire-escape with a hollow or tubular side bar for supporting one end of the rungs, and which hollow side bar has communication both with the stand-pipe and with the hollow rungs.

It also consists in the combination, with this hollow side bar and the stand-pipe, of a valve, so that the water can be let into the side bar and rungs when necessary or shut off when not needed. Y

It also consists, in connection with the stand-pipe,'reescape, and hre-escape platform, of a spraying-arm connected with the stand-pipe directly or indirectly for throwing a spray of water on the fire-escape platform.

It also consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and more particularlyT pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which simi 5o lar letters of reference indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the spraying-perforations omitted and the hollow rungs connecting directly, as well as indirectly through the hollow side bar, with the stand-pipe; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of one of the rungs on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In said drawings, Arepresents the standpipe, having the usual Siamese orbranch-pipe connections a d, and attached in any suitable manner to the building B.

C is the hollow or tubular side bar, and D the hollow rungs, of the iire-escape ladder. The hollow rungs D may communicate directly with the stand-pipe, as shown in Fig. 2; but they are preferably made to communicate therewith only indirectly through the medium of the hollow side bar C, as shown in Fig. l. They are preferably, also, furnished with spraying-perforations d, as shown in Figs.- 1 and 3. I

The hollow side bar C is furnished with an elbow c and lateral branch or pipe c', which communicates with the stand-pipe A. A valve F serves to open or close the communication between the hollow side bar C and y stand-pipe A, so that the water may be turned into the hollow side bar and rungs only when necessary.

G is a hollow perforated arm communieating with the stand-pipe, preferably, only through the hollow side bar C and extending over the fire-escape platform H, so that a spray of water may be thrown thereon when required. The upper end of the hollow side bar C may be closed, as indicated in Fig. 1 at c2, or it may communicate with the standpipe, as shown in Fig. 2.

The valve F is operated from the ground by means of a rod f and crank-arm f.

I claim-- 1. The combination,in a'stand-pipe fire-escape, of the stand-pipe with a hollow side bar communicating therewith and hollow rungs communicating with said hollow side bar and a valve, said rungs having no communication with the stand-pipe except through said valve and hollow side bar, so that the admission of water to said rungs maybe controlled by said valve, substantially as specified.

-2. The combination, in a stand-pipe fire-es- IOO of hollow side bar C, communicating therewith, fire-escape platform H, perforated spraying-arm G, and valve E, said side bar C having no communication with said stand-pipe except through said valve, substantially as specified.

EDVARD Il. AMET. NVit-nesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDW. S. EVARTS. 

